A Shinigami's Sin
by Everlastingangel09
Summary: this story is of Amaya and her life as a Shinigami as she ventures through the world and learns of the clerics that try to outbid them with death. Amaya and the young cleric commit a sin that is unforgiven
1. A shinigami

**Prologue**

"The place where no one else can enter is my own mind. A place where I myself can't even enter…Why is it that I have to suffer so much when other people live a life so full of joy? Is this my punishment for my sins? If so…then please just end my suffering now so I don't have to go through this pain again. It hurts….why are you laughing at me….I 'm crying in pain and sorrow…and yet you laugh at me still as I cry here all alone in the darkness."

It all started the winter of 1884. Probably the last time I have ever experienced the joy of living, and the sadness I held. I was walking home one day after school, and someone was following me from somewhere I couldn't see. But who is it? There's no one there? What's following me in the darkness….what's chasing me….is it coming only for me? The images of that night have never died as I lay there bleeding in the snow, cold and alone, no one there to hear my cries as the blood from my body flowed in a stream on the padded snow. The cold winter air froze me….and I drifted away in darkness, cold and alone, forever sleeping.

But something felt warm again in my body, and that was when I woke up to a bright light of a church, candles surrounding me, giving me warmth of my cold and still frozen body. There was someone by my side, holding my hand tightly, chanting something under his breath for my revival. But I didn't feel alive, not anymore….I felt dead and lifeless as that thing in the shadows came up at me and attacked me unknowing and feeble. Why must it be me….why am I so weak to such things such as this….why can't I be strong and protect myself?

**A Shinigami's Sin**

"Are you in pain child?" A kind voice said next to me. I looked up at the man who spoke and gave him a pained expression. One that was probably so sad that nothing in this world could return it to its original state. Weakly nodding my head, he gave a grim smile as he looked down upon me. I raised my voice as high as I could for him to hear me and asked him something.

"When can I die father?" My voice was shriveled in agony as my voice broke out of exhaustion. Father looked up and gave a solemn face….he closed his eyes and did not turn back to look at me. But he placed his warm hands on my own and spoke gently to me.

"Child…have you not noticed that you are dead….why won't you pass on?" Letting my hands go, I sat up and looked at my hands. They were pale white as the snow I slept in, and my body felt cold no matter how many candles surrounded me. I placed my hand on the candle's flame and it turned to ice. Flinching away, I turned to look at Father and asked what this meant, and he told me in a gentle voice that I was a shinigami -- One who takes the life of others, and creates the world of hell below or above-- Was this my punishment for all the things I've done? Was this to be the fate that I must now endure forever? _What about me….what must I do to repent?!  
_I cried silently, covering my face in sheer agony of the thought that I was dead…but then a man came from above covered in black and slightly pulled me toward him. I wasn't afraid…I felt safer…more comforted with this man's cold embrace. Strange as it was, I felt relief for this mysterious figure to come up to me and have me take his cold hand, not knowing anything else. The next thing I knew, I was gone from the church and was told to forget everything of my life on earth and become one with death.

After that winter of 84, I've never been able to remember my past life, and it's been at least five years since then, and so many lives have been taken with my own hands. Staying in shadows and stalking the ones who smell of death is my job, my servitude, my new life. The man who I should fear is really the one who I should thank. Instead of dying with dread in my heart, the cold man who I've come to know, Reiden, gave me another chance. And with that life he gave me a new name, a name which meant night rain….Amaya. Just thinking about the first day I met Reiden was nostalgic to my mind.

"A proposal of sin is not to be taken lightly….do you truly wish for this never ending darkness, a continuous sin that will lurk with you forever no matter where you go and what from you take?"

Those were the words he said to me….and I ignored them. I've committed a dreadful sin by taking deaths hand in the house of god, but I didn't care. That dreadful memory was a blur in my mind, and all I remember was the time I met Raiden and how I was born, nothing more.

My assignment today was simple, another life is to be taken away and brought to either god or hell. So there I was gliding across the snow covered ground within the shadows to yet again overtake another life that was diminishing.  
"Little Lizzy Waters, your time is up, how do you plea?" Stepping out of the shadows, I revealed myself in a black Lolita dress with a scythe in my right hand, and my left hand rose towards her, taking her into my embrace. She was scared, just like the rest of the victims I've already taken away. She cried heavily, something to be expected when one dies, but she wasn't crying for herself, but for another reason it seemed. "If you wish to not die today, when will the executed death be?" I asked in my chilling soft voice that sent chills through her body. She spoke to me in eager agony and pleaded for her life.  
"Please! Just one more day would be enough for me, just one! Just one more day….just to say goodbye to the one I like." Her head was low, and she bowed low to the ground, pleading for this one day. I raised her chin and kissed her cheek with my cold lips and bound her words.  
"You have one day to confess your feelings little Lizzy, then your soul shall be mine to take." I stood straight up and glided back into the darkness, echoing my words at her about her time limit, and she started running home, preparing herself for her death day to come.

* * *

The day was now, and I decided to follow her to school to watch her confession take place. I was curious about what this girl wanted so badly that she would ask death, me, to wait until she told her feelings to a mere boy. That day, Lizzy hastened herself towards a group of girls surrounding one boy; he was a nice looking kid with a good head on his shoulders, probably had a good upbringing. When I saw Lizzy running to him, fighting her way through the crowd, I figured it would surely be him. She went up to him, despite all the other girls surrounding him and held out a letter and shouted out her confession. He took the letter she held and thanked her. She smiled and blushed frantically, then ran off to the other side of the school to a tree with no one else surrounding it. She paused as she touched the tree trunk and slid to the ground with a sigh of relief that she did what she wanted to do.

"Did you accomplish your goal little Lizzy? You seem happy to give him such petty words and a piece of paper." I said, while appearing in the trees branches. She wasn't startled by my appearance like the first time, she was happy still. Her face red with embarrassment, she looked up at me and told me she was ready to die peacefully. I merely smirked as I floated down to the ground, landing light as a feather in front of her and having my scythe appear in my hand.  
"You gave your life to me. Solemnly you shall sleep in a never ending void, or be awakened by a light from above. Lizzy Waters, this is your death day." Raising my scythe and preparing to take her life, a boy dressed in white attire stood in my way and created a seal of protection around the girl and himself. I stopped my attack and stabbed my scythe in the ground, furious that my job was being disturbed.  
"Who dares stop a death god?" Glaring at the boy and keeping my composure, he kept his stance and didn't back down. I didn't bother repeating myself and stood my ground with less enthusiasm. Lizzy touched the boy's shoulder and smiled at him in a reassuring way.  
"No, please don't interfere with this Akihiro. I asked her to wait one day for me, and she did. My time is over…thank you for being there for me though." She stepped out of the barrier and smiled at me, taking a cross from inside her pocket and placing it over her heart as if in prayer. "I'm ready now." She said.  
I raised my scythe once more and held it to her neck. She slowly closed her eyes and I stabbed my scythe through her body, pulling her soul out. She fell like a sack of potatoes, and her soul was sent to heaven for her purity and devotion. I merely took my hand and placed a seal on her lifeless body as to prevent wondering souls from possessing it. But the boy whose name I caught, Akihiro, was standing firm and staring at me with a peculiar stare. He dropped his barrier and spoke to me.  
"Why must you take the lives of others? She was young and yet you-" I stopped that sentence, and spoke the undying truth to him.  
"I merely did my job as a shinigami, nothing more. She was sent to heaven, isn't that enough for you? Now leave me to do my job, we shall not meet again Akihiro." Silently disappearing into the wind and taking my leave, leaving him there with the truth I spoke.

Returning to the shinigami world, I went to Raiden to seek his cold yet warm embrace around me. I wanted him to comfort me, I wanted him to hold me, I wanted to forget that boy who approached me named Akihiro. "What's wrong Amaya? Did something happen while taking a life?" Holding out his arms to me as I ran too him. His embrace was gentle and caressing, a soothing feeling that fills me with the warmth I no longer had within me. I told him of the boy named Akihiro, and how he is able to see me and create a barrier around himself and the targeted victim. Raiden listened to everything I said while petting my long raven black hair, and answered me in a smooth cold voice.  
"That my dear is a cleric, one who uses holy power from god and the ability to see us. We are not on good terms with these new beings, nor are they with us. From now on you must be careful with what you do…understand Amaya?" Lifting my chin up to his dark black blue eyes, I nodded, and he pulled me forward as to kiss me with his cold lips that tasted of bitter sweet rose petals.


	2. Rebirth and the black lake

Re-Birth

Wondering down the corridors, black candles setting flame on their own, Reiden paced back and forth, wondering what has become of his beloved Amaya. He took his hand and dragged it alongside of the walls, scratching it with his long fingernails. His mind was at a wonder, he couldn't reach her nor could he communicate. He paced even faster down the corridors and started murmuring to himself on what could have happened.

"Purified…" horror struck his face as he ran down the long corridor and through a portal leading to the human world and to the church with not a moment loss.

"Amaya, I would like to apologize to you." Akihiro said in a monotone voice. "I…I'm sorry about bringing you to the courtyard, I didn't know that this would happen." Waiting for her to reply, he leaned back a bit to see her face, leaving her at arm's length. She had her head down, and didn't say anything for a while, then her head barely rose and her eyes were in slits like she was just waking up. He shook his head and stood up, helping her try to stand, she couldn't even move her own feet. He sighed and bent low to her, taking hold of one arm and scooting her to him, then taking his arms and grabbing hold of her body, lifting her up. Keeping his balance steady, she looked at him with weary eyes, but smiled kindly and drifted to sleep soundlessly.

"Hey Akihiro when are-" seeing Amaya in his arms, "um, well…I was wondering when is the best time to help me study for the test coming up in historic past life….but it looks like your busy so…so I'll go and study by myself." Walking away swiftly. Akihiro didn't know why he mistook the situation as busy, but it gave him the chance to get her settled and to get his head straight.

But before he could do anything, he heard stomping and yelling in the church, he looked at Amaya and cringed, he didn't know what to do, tightening his grip on her he never noticed her flinching.

"Where's Amaya! Return her to me you spiteful beings of god!" Outraged, Reiden was sending black magic throughout the halls and sending clerics to the ground in groups. He wanted Amaya, and he would do anything to get her back. The high Priest and the high Cleric came rushing down the hallways, setting up barriers and creating a holy disperse spell to rid of Reiden. "Be-gone demon, leave thy church-" "Pipe up you old geezer. Where did you take her to!" Clasping his fist tighter and raising the high priest up into the air 3 feet away. "Tell me or die old man." His fingers clenched tighter and the priest was no longer able to breath and was suffocating. The high cleric tried to save him but got shoved to the wall with a dark force. "What is this?" Trying to break free but couldn't budge the force holding him against the wall. He started to fade out and could see a figure of a dark misshapen dog-like creature holding him against the wall by his throat. "Creature of the night….disperse to where thee came from and rest thy self." The creature glowed brightly and dispersed, leaving the cleric to drop down to the floor and gasp for air. Barely rising up, he gazes towards where the high priest was and sees the creature holding him up by the neck. Trying to cast a spell at the creature, he falls on the ground exhausted and worn, unable to chant the rest of the spell.

Akihiro took a deep breath and looked closely at Amaya and tightened his grip on her shoulders. "Amaya…I want you to stay here, do you understand me? I need you to stay right here and wait for me." Shaking, she didn't understand much but nodded at him. He bit his lip and he dashed towards the calamity. Amaya reached out to him, but he was already gone, and she was alone where she sat. Alone where she was, she stood up and started walking down the passageway where he went and followed him. Akihiro was stopped by some strange force in the air and was repulsed back. Looking intently where it came from, he saw his chance to purify the air to see. "Air of the heavens, bestow upon me thy grand power." He beckoned, and he was granted that wish and blew air around him. He sees the creatures appear and clapped his hands together and got his holy staff in his possession. Smirking at the challenge, he starts fighting them all off, but didn't notice Amaya coming round the corner. She kept walking towards him with a small vague smile until he turned around and saw her. "Amaya!" Rushing to her, a creature tries to grab her. She panicked and placed her hands on its chest and it dispersed into a black mist. Astonished, Akihiro grabbed her by the waist and runs with her by his side. She didn't speak t him, but kept staring at her hands. Reiden sees them running by and he disappears and appears in front of them. "Amaya my love, I finally found you." Brimming with happiness, his arms stretched wide to her, Akihiro stumbled back and tripped as she kept on going at him, right into his open arms. "Amaya my love are you alright? Did they do anything to you while you were here? Are you still you by chance?" Hugging her tighter and tighter, she cringed by the pain and he flinches. Taking another look at her, she was speechless and crying from the fear she was experiencing. "What have they done to you…" saddened, "you look like a human again. So much sorrow fills you doesn't it?" He smiles at her and hugs her gently. Akihiro stands and charges at him, but a force sends him backwards. She tries to look back but was stopped as Reiden gives her an icy cold passionate kiss. Eyes widening, her face goes white, her energy was taken, and once more she was lifeless. "Amaya!" Akihiro shouted. Her eyes were blank, there was nothing left of her at all. He bit down hard on his lower lip and grabbed hold of his staff, chanting a spell, he sends it at Reiden and knocking him back away from her. Running to her, he tries to revive her, but nothing was working."Amaya…Amaya! Amaya wake up please!" Tears flowing down his face, he lifts her to his head and silently cries in her chest. Reiden stood above him, staring at his beloved Amaya's corpse. "So what shall you do now god child? Bring the dead back to life with even more sorrow?" Silence. "You made her a purified Shinigami, a human nonetheless, making her go through all those painful memories back when she was still living. What does god give a right to do something to any life? I have her soul, and unless you step aside, she won't ever wake." Akihiro wouldn't move away from her, Reiden grabbed his shoulder and spoke clearly to him. "I love her much more then you would ever love a woman boy. Now let go of my soul mate and you won't have to die today." Touching Amaya's body, she starts to levitate in the air and hover above Akihiro, motionless as he sits there watching, Reiden sends back her soul and she breathes deeply as air started to flow through her body and blood as cold as ice rush through her veins. "Amaya my love, we are leaving this holy ground at once." He grabs her from the air and holds her in his arms, she looks deeply at him as if remembering, then she hugs him tightly across his chest. "Reiden…you came for me." Akihiro was dumbstruck on how she became a shinigami once more after the purification process, but was strangely glad and sighed in relief. "Cleric boy, you have no purpose with Amaya any longer. We shall take our leave and you shall leave us to do our job as death gods." A black hole appears behind Reiden and he steps through it and both were gone. Akihiro was silent for the time being and couldn't take his gaze away from where they left. But before he got up to go check for others, he whispered quietly to himself, "Amaya…"

Cedric came running down the hallways looking for Akihiro and yelling out his name, finally seeing him he pulls his arm and rushes him to the priest. They saw not only the priest lying there motionless, but the high cleric as well, but barely breathing. "High cleric-" "Do not speak young one…let me." Coughing out blood on his hands, Akihiro holds him up a bit as to speak to him better. "Akihiro…you are now the head cleric of this church…me, as well as the priest believe in you…*cough* so please, do not worry over us, our time has now passed…we are now to be given to god" his eyes softly closing shut, both Cedric and Akihiro hold back the tears they had and laid the high cleric down on the floor and covered them both with their robes. Cedric bows low to Akihiro who had now become the high Cleric of the church and was responsible to do everything in his power under the hands of god. "Cedric…in my absence, you are to take care of everything until I return, do you understand." He nods, and turns to the front doors leading out of the church. Everyone who didn't know the situation was already aware that he was appointed high cleric by the voice of god and started to bow to him. He ignored all and kept walking out of the churches grounds, heading to the town where he would soon enough find Amaya and bring her back not to the church, but back to him.

"Reiden…my mind is so cold, it feels so empty and hallow inside. What does that mean?" She asked in wonder. Reiden dipped his head down and kissed her lips with his cold earth shattering touch and smiled at her. "It will clear your mind my dear of the events that took place. You won't feel that death threatening memory ever again." She stayed silent for the moment as she gazed at his dark black blue eyes, then lowered her gaze to a dark room barely lit with black candles all around a single bed draped with a silk canopy. He laid her down softly and whispered in her ear to sleep until another day comes for another life to be taken. Closing her eyes steadily, she started to dream of what happened, and found herself experiencing a strange phenomenon, a feeling that was long forgotten, yet unearthed by him. "Akihiro…" She whispered silently to herself as she drifted to sleep.

The Black Lake

_Bring me the life I seek….bring me someone who can feed me. I want to be free from this watery grave, send someone to the water's edge, let me feast upon their soul._

When I was asleep, I couldn't tell if I would wake, or keep on sleeping until the earth stood still. I felt so strange, so hallow that I didn't know how to make anything out anymore. My body was cold and numb with no feeling, my eyes were dark and empty, and my presence felt like it was forever trapped inside a cold hard box. That was what I felt like, that was what I would always feel like for the rest of my life that I now have. But my mind, being hallow as it was, could not forget the experience I had with Akihiro. He engraved something in me, but I don't know what it is, at least I don't think I don't know. I felt a cold hand touch my bare shoulder, and I awoke so easily, looking up to find Reiden by my bedside. "Wake up my dear, it's time for work once again." He smiled gently. I lifted myself up from the soft laminating bed and gazed blankly at him. Getting up, Reiden drew out a black scythe out of the air about him. Not saying anything, I did the same thing, and my attire changed completely as I was ready to go to work….just like any other Shinigami in this realm of darkness. "Are you wanting to take this job solo, or shall I come with you?" He asked. I looked at my scythe, and then back at him with a sweet smile on my face. "No, there's no need Reiden. I'll handle it from here, so you go on ahead and do something that's more important." He looked at me and gave me a passionate embrace, along with an icy kiss. He opened my destination portal, and I stepped through without hesitation and set off.

As I arrived to my destination, I noticed I wasn't in town, or anywhere near it for that matter. It was at a lake…a very decent size, not too big, not to small, but decent in its own way. Looking around the lake's edge, I saw a boy leaning towards the water, gazing at it blankly like he was being absorbed. Gliding over to him, smelling death within the air, he didn't feel my presence coming towards him, but kept staring blankly into the lake before him. "Little Jimmy Klinks, your time has come, how do you plea?" Hearing his name, he looked up from the water and stared at me. "So I'm really going to die today am I…but why?" He asked. I only looked kindly at him, knowing how he didn't understand anything at all. So I leaned towards him, bending my knees to his height and told him. "Death comes in many unexpected ways. Sometimes in ways that none may ever understand, not even me." Standing up, I took my scythe and twirled it; He stood up as well and was ready for me to give it to him. I stabbed him through the chest and ripped out his soul. A light appeared before him, and he ascended to heaven's gate. Placing a seal on his body, I was starting to head back to the shinigami realm when something in the water caught my eye. Turning to the lake, I stood there, watching, waiting…but nothing seemed to happen. Just before I was about to leave, the water started swirling and lifting into the air like a snake. But before I could defend myself, the water wrapped around me and dragged me into the water's depths. Thank goodness I no longer had to breathe, but the fact that the lake took me was a shocking turn about, and I had no idea how to deal with it.

_Give me your soul….feed my desires to live out of this watery grave. Let me feast upon the life source you posses, give me my freedom from these waters!_

Struggling to break free from these invisible binds, I used my magic to release myself from the pressure surrounding me and began taking defense. The water was still, almost to still to be true. Looking further in the water below, I sensed something dark, something that should have been dealt with long ago.

_You live in my water's yet you do not swim for air? Just who are you, how can you posses a soul yet live to not live?_

I couldn't tell where the voice was coming from, but I felt it coming closer towards me from behind. I spun around and came face to face with a vengeful spirit, one who looked to be craving the life that was taken away from her.

_Tell me how to be free…give me your soul so I can break free from this watery grave. Let me consume you._

A spirit long lost to the world, and more desperate to be brought back to life, how sad and resentful this must have been for her to endure. "I am a death god. I posses a soul that no longer thrives on the living, it would be meaningless to take to free you." She gave a mournful screech that echoed throughout the water, but I did not falter. "And as a death god I can release you from these water's with my power. Would that satisfy you enough to no longer rely on souls?" Her helpless screeches became tears, and her tears became a voice of lonliness.

_My life was taken from me from the one I truly loved. I didn't know what to do for him besides saving him from drowning. Yet it was he who plunged me down and wouldn't let me back up to the surface. He betrayed me….my love was betrayed and I was left here to scorn for all eternity._

I brought my scythe out and swam towards her ghostly appearance, gently caressing her ghostly pale skin with my ice cold hands.

_Your hands are as cold as ice…just like the day I died here in this lake. Yet to me they feel warm like the sun I used to run in, and the ground that soaked up its rays._

I moved my hand slowly away from her as I brought my scythe to her ghostly form of a neck, she smiled with a tear in her eye, I lunged it through her, her soul that was forgotten was found and finally relieved. She went to heaven, but she would have to face many trials to be forgiven of her sins.

_Thank you death god, it would have been many more years before I completely fell into the darkness of my own soul. You may be the ruler of death to come, but you have a light within you that burns brightly through the night. If by chance you lose sight of that light, follow what you feel in your heart, it will guide you to the right path._

Her light was diminished and the merky water that I was in became clearer. I swam up to the surface to find the light of the sun shining down upon the surface of the lake. Diamonds shimmered from the sun's rays as my eyes squinted to see what was coming towards me. It was a light, but a light to that of a human being holding a mirror. It reflected the diamonds dancing on the water's surface, as well as the smile on the human's face. He was an old man, probably won't live much longer, yet he had the life within himself to come this far to the lake. "Oh my….someone must have finally rest her soul." Gazing out in the lake. "I'm so sorry for what had happened so many years ago….I didn't mean to drown you while you were saving me that time. I wasn't myself at the time and became drunk, yet you came to me despite all that." A long sigh held the air. "Since you are now at peace Charlene, I may finally be at peace myself." He sat down and took an old book out from his jacket and opened it up to take out a locket. Opening it, he smiled happily while closing his eyes and resting on the warm grass by the lake's shore. Smelling his demise I had no other choice but to go over to him. His eyes opened once more as he saw my appearance, but he did not stir, nor did he speak to me. Instead, he closed his eyes again and held the locket to his heart. Taking my scythe in my hand, I gently got his soul out from him and granted him safe passage to heaven. His body didn't require a seal, it had served his time on earth. But before I could leave, I heard his soul calling out to someone. Turning to see what it was, it was the soul I freed from the lake rushing towards the man I had just released.

_Henry! _

_Charlene!_

Both souls coming to an embrace within the sun's rays of light, I must have been blind from the water's surface of diamonds, but I could have sworn that upon those souls I was seeing wings being opened, and god's hand caressing them both in the palm of his hands. Never before have I seen such a sight, and probably would be the last time I did. Happy about my success, I began to open the portal for the Shinigami world, but something in the air was quit calming to my mind that I decided to stay a while longer, and possibly recall these wavering feeling I had in my mind after coming back to Reiden, and possibly try to figure out who this Akihiro was that I kept weaving around in my mind. Having the sun's rays penetrate my cold lifeless skin was nostalgic, it gave me that warmth I could not hold, and also gave me a small smile that I thought was long gone. The birds began singing, some even landing on the diamond surface of the glistening lake, making ripples and distorting the image. No later did I see more humans coming up from somewhere far away from this lake in search for a resting area. None bringing the scent of death, they could not see me, so I lay on the warm grass by the old man's body and began reminiscing the little fragments of memories I barely held on to.

"Mommy look an old man is sleeping over there!" Laughing and giggling by the excitement she had. Her parents smiling and looking over to the old man, the husband went over to make sure he was alright. The man soon found out that he had passed on, but with the smile on his face; the husband reassured his wife that he had a peaceful passing and that he would call someone up. "It seems to me that he wanted to be here for his final hour. Must have been recently to, he still has a warm presence about him." Going to his car and calling the local number around, the wife motioned her child to play in the water while she herself went over to the old man and wanted to see for herself. Touching his hand, she did feel the warmth he had and smiled. "I'm glad that you went with a smile on your face. Someone very important must be here for you, waiting for you to come without any regrets." She removed her hand off of his and looked over to his side to find the grass misshapen to the form of someone being by him. "You even have an angel watching over you until someone arrives to pick you up." Smiling sweetly, she rose and went back to her daughter and husband and waited for someone to come for the old man. I was starting to see slight images in my mind, fuzzy as they were; I was trying my hardest to decipher it. But I could get from it was blobby figures and muffled voices that were hard to pick out to understand. My eyes shot open once I heard the raging sound of an ambulance car coming to pick the man up. Though it was nice to relax here, I decided to head back to the Shinigami world and go back to Reiden's icy embrace.

Reiden had only just returned as well from a job he had taken care of from the town and awaited for my return anxiously. But before I could go straight to him, an assignment had come up for me to go to the far side of town near a deserted chapel close to destruction. It sounded simple enough, but I could never be certain with any of these jobs I take. So I didn't get a chance to see Reiden, but I left instantly for the assignment.


	3. A chapel's Grief

A Chapel's Grief

I arrived at the abandoned chapel and found it to be crumbling little by little. The trees around the area were dead and lifeless as well as the ground below. Staring at this scenery from the lake I was just at made me think that the same thing was probably happening here with a restless spirit unable to pass through either gate. The moment I stepped on the grounds, I felt the disturbance tremble and was sent crude winds my way to scare me off. Though it was useless against me, it was able to chase so many away from this once sacred place.

_Leave this place you foul being….don't taint these grounds. _An eerie voice echoed. I didn't stop walking towards the building, and the spirit was sending much harsher winds and obstacles at me with much force until I touched the door and let myself in.

_How DARE you enter here! A foul being like you should not have even touched these sacred grounds, not even enter this chapel! How….HOW!! _A man's voice was more distinguished now that I entered the chapel. But I still could not see where he was, nr could I locate where exactly. I could sense another faint attack and drew out my scythe quickly and blocked a statue from hitting me and let it shatter to pieces. The spirit was quite….watching every move I made to make his own. And the moment the other attack was made I leaped forward towards the front of the chapel and stabbed the stairs, catching the spirit's cloth and pinned him there. I was unaware that the spirit which I had pinned was none other than a holy priest himself from long ago in this very chapel. I could only tell from his clothing that he had been here in solitude for a very long time, alone, and abandoned by everyone he had faith in. My scythe kept him from moving, and I stood tall and began getting ready to send him to one of the gates after I gave him a trial of fair death.

"To a soul who has lost thy way, allow me to judge your crimes and see where you stand." Holding my ice cold hand to his head, I began looking into his past and finding the chapel starting to look new once more as we traveled back to the day of his death.

_This…this is before I died. But how are-_

"This is merely from what you remember; all of this is a mirage of your mind." I began watching a play of death unfold before me.

A man stepped forth to the pedestal draped in a white tunic and bearing a cross on his chest, then turning around to face the people who had come to pray to god. He smiled down upon them as he raised his hand and allowed their prayers to be answered. The people prayed for a long time….and the priest prayed along with them in an ancient tongue quietly to himself. Another man who wore the same tunic was coming forth to the front in hast with his hands tucked in his sleeves. I recognized the situation immediately as I watched the assassination take its course killing the priest before him. People were screaming in panic as blood soaked the floor, running down the tiny steps down the aisle. The man snickered as he withdrew his knife out of the priest and left him. Anger, vengeance, remorse filled the priest as his vision darkened, as well as the memory of death afterwards. The mirage was gone, and the chapel returned to its original state; and I returned to the spirit before me. He was crying…weeping in sorrow that he wasn't able to do anything within his power to grab the man who killed him and hold him till someone could arrive to get him. His thoughts had led him to becoming a wondering spirit that clung to the chapel, forever reliving that dread in his heart. My hand on my scythe and allowing him to get up, I stood firm and awaited his reply on the matter of me releasing him, or ending it. "Are you ready to pass on, or are you going to die here along with this chapel priest." I asked in a solemn voice that his ghostly face had become even more frightened. But he stayed silent for a while and tilted his head down. With no answer I had thought he was ending his life and aimed my scythe to finish him off. But he released a strange power I have never felt before and threw me back away from him. I caught my balance to dodge a strong wind attack that destroyed part of the wall and partially he floor. His aura was menacing, and though he was a spirit with little danger to think about, he suddenly became vengeful and twisted to kill me off. His head tilted back up, but his face was distorted and menacing to look at with red eyes beaming at me.

_I'll kill anyone who desecrates this chapel….that man murdered me here….and you were just about to do the same thing. _His shape was differing as his body became bigger and turned to more of a creature than human. _I'll show anyone who comes in here a swift death like mine. _He charged at me in full fury, but I easily dodged his attack and tried striking him down but missed as he escaped through a crack in the wall. I could sense his presence more firmly then before, but this was becoming risky to handle now that he plans to kill me off with all he has. My eyes widened as I jumped up and had my wings pop out quick enough to have me fly away from his attack from below. "Such menacing aura in such a short time….this will be tricky to handle." Gripping my scythe and steadying myself in the air, preparing for anything he throws at me. 

_If you think you can escape me…think again. _Two ghostly hands appeared behind me and tried to grab me from the air, but I slashed them away and maneuvered away from the walls.

_Not good enough. _Another hand came striking down from the ceiling as I was pinned down to the floor and being crushed. My ribs felt tighter each second the hand was on me, and my scythe became out of reach for me. I felt hopeless and started struggling to break free, but the hand kept pushing me more and more into the floor and ceasing me to move any longer.

_I knew I could get you if it was from above. You were so easy to predict….so easy to pin down. _He came out of hiding and walked towards my scythe. _If I recall in my reading one time….if a death god were to be killed by anything else but its own weapon, then it would only revive again and again and continue on living. _Picking up my scythe and staring at me with a slight grin. _I would have to use this scythe to finish you off permanently. _Raising the scythe over his head, I closed my eyes, prepared for death once more, then heard the door slam open and a blast of light shooting at the beastly priest. I was released from the hand that crushed me and got up to retrieve my scythe. The priest was furious to who had shot him and his face looked shocked as to find it to be a cleric.

_Why….I was only destroying the foul being that stepped foot on this sacred ground. Why am I to be punished? _He asked in a pitiful voice, but I was mad enough that I stabbed my scythe through him without redeeming his soul and sent him to hell. The large door appeared before him and chains swarmed him, then tightly wrapping him and took him through hells doors and disappeared. I had almost forgotten about the cleric that entered the chapel and saved me and quickly turned myself around.

"Amaya is that you?" The light was bright behind him as I couldn't tell what his face was, yet he knew who I was and saved me from certain death. The cleric stepped forth more from the bright light behind him and came into view under the dim lighting of the chapel. "Amaya it's me….Akihiro." His name was familiar, yet I couldn't quit recall who he was. My face was expressionless as I stood there with my scythe at hand and my wings stretched behind my back. "I do not know who you are cleric, but I do appreciate what you have done and owe you one life in return." Before I left to the Shinigami realm, Akihiro leaped at me and grabbed my hand and held it tightly. "What are you doing cleric?" I asked in surprised as I couldn't break free from his grasp. His eyes were filled with tears and his face showed a motion I couldn't recall upon myself seeing towards me. "Let go off me cleric before I get angry and take your arm-" "Amaya don't you recognize me at all? It's me Akihiro!"


End file.
